Knitting-machine.



No. 839,200. PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906.

. I F. c. REHM. I

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SE'PT.19, 1904.

' 3 SERIES-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES No. 839,200. V v .PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906.

'P. p. REHM. KNITTING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION IILEDflBPTjlB, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

SMgZ R FREDERICK o. REHM, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

KNlTTlNG-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Application filed September 19,1904.semina 225.059.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906,

To all rifltontzltv may concern: 7 Be it known that I, FREDERICK C.REHM,

.a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county ofWayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is aspecification. I

This invention relates to knitting-machines, and particularly to thatclass of knitting machines illustrated in my previous Letters Patent,No. 535,461, dated March 12,

- 1895, and No. 619,840, dated February 21,

1899, to which reference may be had-. The machines illustrated in thesaid Letters Patent are provided with means whereby aknitted fabrichaving tufts or pile-loops on one of its faces may be produced.

The object of my present invention is to rovide a knitting-machine withmechanism whereby it will automatically produce knitted fabric providedwith the said tufts or pileshowing the operation of forming loops and aplain knitted fabric at certain intervals, as occasion may require. I

With this object in viewthe invention consists in thenovel constructionand combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a knittingrmachine providedwith my in vention. Fig. 2 is 'a sectional detail as on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail as on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 5-is a detail development as onthe line 4 4 of Fig. 4, the loops. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the neede-cylinder, th needles, the loop-forming devices, and the cam-ring foractuating the devices, the arrow showingthe direction of advancement ofthe cam-ring with relation to the needle:

operating mechanism and the dot-and-dash lines showing the amount ofsuch advancement. Fig. 7 isa vertical section through the cam-cylinder,needle-cylinder and adjuncts.

' 1 designates the bed-plate; 3,t-he needlecylinder; 5,theneedles, and 6the cam-cylinder. The cam-cylinder is mounted to rotate in the bed-plateand is provided with gearteeth 7, which ,coact with the teeth of a gear-Wheel 8, which is driven by agear-wheel 8 on the main driving-shaft 9,by means of which the cam-cylinder is rotated to actuate. the needles.

Mounted on the cam-cylinder 6 1s abracket 10, which supports the usuallatch-guard 11 andcarries the thread-feeding eyes 12. and 13,-by meansof whichthe threads 14 and 15 are directed to the needles during theknitting operation.

16-designates a series of radially-arranged loop forming or holdingdevices slidingly' fitted to a ring 20, which is supported by theneedle-cylinder 3. 'The loop-holders are arranged slightly above the topof the needlecylinder 3 or plane where the stitches are formed, and theycorrespond in number with and are adapted to be moved radially betweenthe needles 5.

The holders 16 are provided with butts or projections 17, which extendinto a cam'way '18, formed in the under sideof a ring 19, which isrotatably mounted on the ring 20, and is adapted to be rotated .with thecam-cylinder 6, as will hereinafter The contour of the camway 18 is"appear. such that'during the'rotation of the ring 19 the loop-holders 16are maintained normally withdrawnfrom between the needles 5, and

are projected inwardly between the needles 1 where the needles arelowered to form the stitches, and are withdrawn from between the needlesimmediately following the raisf ing of the needles after the formationof the stitches.

The thread guiding eye 12 is located slightly above the eye 13 toprovide a space between the threads 14 and 15 being delivered to theneedles 5. Just as the'needles 5 descend to engage the threads 14 and 15to form the stitches the loop-holders 16 are projected inwardly throughthe space between said threads and the s ac'es between the needles 5.Thus it wil be seen that both threads will be knitted into the fabricand that the threads 14 will be drawn over the loop-holders 16, as shownin Fig. 4, be-' fore bemg drawn into the fabric, and thus .produce thetufts orpile-loops. After the stitches have been formed and the needlesraised to the normal level, the loop-holders .16 are withdrawn frombetween the needles to discharge the loops and to be again projectedinwardly for a succeeding operation during the formation of thenextcourse' of stitches. 1

' Generally considered, the construction v and operation of the machinethus far is the same as that shown and described in my revious LettersPatent hereinbefore reerred to.

I shall now proceed to describe the preferred form of mechanism wherebythe ma- IIO chine is caused to automatically produce a knitted fabricprovided with the tufts or pile-loops and a plain knitted fabric atcertain predetermined intervals.

Slidingly fitted to the bracket is a pair of parallelhorizontally-arranged bars 21 and 22, which are movable toward and fromthe center of the machine. These bars are rovided with pins 23, whichproject into s ots in the respective ends of a lever 24, which ispivotally mounted upon the bracket 10, midway between the bars 21 and22, whereby when one bar is moved toward the center of the machine thelever 24 will operate to move the other bar away from the center ofthemachine, and the converse.

, The bar 22 is provided with a projection 25, which. is adapted toengage a lug 26, projecting from the cam-ring 19, as a means whereby thecam-ring 19 may be rotated with the cam-cylinder 6. The projection 25and lug 26 are provided with o posing camsurfaces which engage each oter, whereby when the bar 22 is moved outwardly the camring 19 will beadvanced into operative position with respect to the knitting-camscarried by the cam-cylinder 6 and correspondingly advance the timing ofthe inward movement of the loo pholder s 16 with res ect to the downwardpull-of the needles 5 dining the knitting operation, and when the bar 22is moved outwardly during the rota-' tion of the cam-cylinder thecam-surface of the projection 25 will move against the'cam- Surface ofthe lug 26 and retard the move ment of the cam-ring 19 with respect tothe chine will cease to knit knitting-cams and correspondingly retardthe inward movement of the loop-holders 16 with respect to the downwardpull of the needles 5. The timing of the inward movement of theloop-holders 16-with respect to the downward pull of the needles 5 18such that when the cam-ring 19 is advanced b -moving the bar 22outwardly the loop-hol ers 16 will enter between the threads 14 and 15being delivered to the needles 5, and thus produce the tufts orpile-loops from the thread 14 upon the inner face of the fabric beingknitted, and when the cam-ring 19 is retarded b moving the bar 22inwardly the loop-hol ers 16 will move inwardly in rear of the twothreads 14 and 15, and thus permit the needles 5 to engage both threadsin the usual manner to produce a plain knitted fabric. Thus it will beseen that by moving the bar 22 outwardly during the knitting o erationthe machine will produce a knitted fab ric provided with the tufts orpile-loo s, and that by moving'the bar 22 inwardly t e mathe tuftedfabric and will produce a plain knitted fabric.

The outer ends of the bars'21 and 22 terminate in different horizontalplanes, the end of the bar 21 being slightly above the bar 22, and thesaid ends are adapted to engage path traverse a vertically-movable cam27 during the operation of the machine. This cam 27 is mounted uponposts 28, risingifroma bar 29, which rests normally upon a racket 30,HS- ing from the bed-plate 1. Depending from the bar 29 are gulde-rods31 and 32, which areslidingly fitted to openings in the bracket 30. Thelower end of the rod 32 is ada ted to be engaged by one end of abell-cran lever33, which is pivoted to the bracket 30. When the lever 33is moved in one direction, it engages the rod 32 and raises the cam 27into the path traversed by the outer end of the bar 21, and when thelever 33 is moved in the reverse direction the cam 27 is lowered untilthe bar 29 rests upon the bracket 30, in which osition the cam 27 is inthe d by the outer end of the bar 22.

The bell-crank lever 33 is connected by a link 34 with one end of alever 35, which is pivoted to the bed-plate 1, as at 36. The other endof the lever 35 is pivoted to one end of a longitudinally-reci rocativebar 37, mounted upon the bedlate .1, whereby when the bar 37 is moveback and forth the levers 33 and 35 will be rocked to raise and lowerthe cam 27. The other end of the bar 37 is provided with an inclinedcam-surface 38, which is adapted to be engaged by the upper end of alever 39, which is pivoted, as at 40, to the side of the machine, andthe bar 37 is drawn normally toward the lever 39 by the action of asuitable s ring 41 one end of which is secured to the-liver 35 adjacentto the bar 37 and the other end of which is secured to the bed-plate 1.I The upper end of the lever 39 is provided with a projecting pin 42 toenga e one end of a lever 43, which 18 ivoted to the bed-plate l, as at44. The otfier end of the lever 43 is in engagement with a pin 45,projecting from a pawl'46, which is also pivoted to the bed-plateadjacent to the bar 37. Bearing against the pin 45 is a spring 47, whichtends to move the pawl 46 toward the bar 37 and the lever 43 toward thepin 42. When the lever 39 is moved in onedirection, it will engage thecam-surface 38 and move the bar 37 against the action of the spring 41,and at the same time move the pin 42 away from the lever 43, therebypermitting the spring 47 to move the pawl 46 into engagement with anotch 48 in the bar 37 to maintain said bar in its position against theaction of the spring 41, and when the lever 39-is moved in the reversedirection the in 42 will en age and move the lever 43, which in turn wil engage the pin 45 and move the pawl 46 from engagement with the notch48, and thus ermit the spring 47 to shift the bar 37 back intoengagement with the lever 39. Thus it will be seen that thisback-and-forth motion of the lever 39 will reciprocate the bar 37 in amanner to operate the levers 33 and 35 to raise and lower the cam 27.Pivoted to the [shaft 53, havin upper-end of the lever 39 is a rod 49,which extends. freely through a'lu 50, vprojectin from the machine. Thisro 49 is provide with a spring 51, which tends normally to maintain thelower end of the lever 39 in en gagement with the cam-wheel 52, fixed toa its bearings in. the side frame of the mac me. This shaft 53 is pro-.

j vided with a gear-Wheel54, in mesh with a pinion 55 on ashaft 56,which is provided with a ratchet-wheel 57. Loosely mounted on'thes'haft56 is an oscillatory arm 58,

carr ing a pawl 59 in engagement with the ratc et-wheel 57. The arm 58is connected by a link 60 to the up er end ofan arm 61, projecting froma roc shaft 62, whereb when the shaft 62 is rocked thepawl 59 wi lengage the ratchet-Wheel 57 to actuate the shaft 56, which throughthepinion 55 and gear-wheel 54 will slowly rotate the camwheel52.

The shaft 62 is provided with a projecting arm 63, adapted to be engagedby a sector .64 and moved against the action ofaspring 65 to rock theshaft 62 a suitable sto 66 being providedflto limit the'movement o thearm 63 with the spring 65 .as the sector.

.moves'away from said'arm; The sector 64 is loosely mounted on theshaft62 and is connected by a link 67 to a gear-wheel 68, which is driven byag'e'ar-wheel 69 on the 'main driving-shaft 9, whereby the sector'64 isoscillated.

' The'cam-wheel52 is rovided with a high and a low portion 70 an 71,respectively, and

it is alsojprovided'with a segmental plate] I 72, extendmg to the edgeof the hi' h portion" 70 and secured to the side ofthe w eel 52 bysuitable clamps 73. By loosening the clamp 73 the plate 72 maybeadjusted around the wheel 52 to vary the-lengths of the high and lowportions 70 and 71.- The'lowerend of the lever 39 extends over boththewheel 52 and the plate 72. v 1 I By the hereinbefore described'constructi on it will be seen that during the operation of the machineto produce the knitted fabric the cam-wheel .52 is slowly rotated,thereby causing the high and low portions 70 and 71 of said wheel toengagethelower end of the lever 39in alternate succession, and thusrockthe lever 39 to cause the bar 37 to be moved back and forth, and thuseffect the raising and engages and rocks the lever 39 the cam' 27 willbe raised into the path traversed by the bar 22,'which will engage thecam 27 and be moved inwardly thereby to retard the movement of thecam-ring 19., and thus cause the machine to cease to produce the tuftedfabric and'to produce plain knitted fabric, so long as'the lever 39rests against the high portion 70 of the cam-wheel 52. By loosening theclamps 73 and adjusting the plate 72 the length of the tufted portionsand the length of the plain portions of the fabric being pro' duced maybe varied.

I have found it desirable to raise the threadfeeding eye 13 very closeto the eye 12 to bring the threads 14 and 15 close together during theproduction of the plain knitted fabric, particularly so when theinvention is used in connection with a machine for knitting stockings,for the reason that one of the threads 14 and 15 if separated is likelyto catch upon the loop holders 16 when-the direction'of motion of thecam-cylinder 6 and thread-feeds are reversed during the reciprocation ofthe cam-cylinder in knitting the heel'and toe'parts of a stocking. Toaccomplish this, I'form the eye 13 in one end of a lever 7 5, whichispivoted to-the latch-guard 1 1, as at 76, and is held normally in theposition shown by the action of a spring 7 8,secured to the latch-guardand engaging the lever. The other end of the lever 75 extends outwardlyin line with an arm 7 7 ,carried by the bar 22, to the end that when thebar 22 is moved inwardl to cause the machine to pro- ;duce plain knittedfabric the arm 77 will take against the lever 75 and move it against theaction of the spring 78 to bring. the eye 13 close to-the eye 12, andwhen the bar 22 is moved outwardl in causing the machine to producetufted abric the spring 78 will be permitted tofmove the lever 75 tolower the eye 13 to the position shown. 1

While I-have herein shown and'de'scribed my invention in a desirableandv practical form, yet I'do not limit myself to this particularconstruction, as the same may be greatly modified without departing fromthe invention. i

Iclaim 1. In a knitting-machine the combination with stitch-formingmechanism including a cam-cylinder and means for continuously rotatingthe same,of mechanism adapted to produce tufts or pile-loops upon oneface of the fabric being knitted, and means for automatically causingsaid mechanism to cease the production of the tufts or loops to permitthe machine to produce a plain knitted fabric during the continuousrotation of the camcylinder.

2. In a knitting-machine the combination with stitch-forming mechanismincluding a cam-cylinder and means for continuously rotating the same,of mechanism adapted to v to discontinue the production of the loopsmachine to produce a plain knitted fabric during the continuous rotationof the camcylinder, and means for automatically causing said mechanismto resume the production of tufts or loops during the continuousrotation of the cam-cylinder, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a knitting-machine, the combination with theneedles,thread-feeding means, and means to actuate the needles to effect theiroperation upon the thread, of a series of loopforming devices, and meansfor automatically causing said series to produce tufts or pile-loopsupon the fabric being knitted and at certain predetermined intervals,substantially as described. 7

4. In a knitting-machine, the combination with the needles,thread-feeding means, and means including a cam-cylinder to actuate theneedles to effect their operation upon the thread, means forcontinuously rotating the cam-cylinder, of a series of loop-formingdevices adapted to act upon the thread in conjunction with the needlesto form loops, means for actuating the series, means-for advancing theoperation of the series with respect to the'operation 'of the needles toproduce loops upon the fabric being knitted during the continuousrotation of the cam-cylinder, and means for retarding the'operation ofthe series with respect to the operation of the needles to discontinuethe production of the loops during the continuous rotation of thecam-cylinder, substantially as described.

with the needles, thread-feeding means, the cam-cylinder and theknitting-cams carried thereby to eflect the operation of the needlesupon the thread, of a series of loop-forming devices, a cam movable withthe cam cylinder and adapted when in operative position to actuate theseries to produce tufts .or pile- 5. In a knitting-machine, thecombination" loops upon the fabric being knitted and when I out ofoperative position to cause the series to cease to produce loops, andmeans for au- & tomatically moving the series actuating-cam into and outof operative position without chan ing the operation of the needles,substantlally as described.

6. In a knitting-machine, the combination with the needles,thread-feeding means, the cam-cylinder and the knitting-cams carriedthereby to effect the operation of the needles upon the thread, of aseries of loop-forming devices, a cam-ring carried by the cam-cylinderand partially rotatable with respect thereto to be advanced with respectto the knitting-cams into operative position to actuate the series toproduce loops upon the fabric being knitted and retarded with re- .spectto the knitting-cams to cause the series to cease to produceloops, andmeans for automatically advancing and retarding the cam-ring at certainpredetermined intervals, substantially as described.

7. In a knitting-machine, the combination with the needles, means forfeeding two threads thereto, and means to actuate the needles to effecttheir operation upon the threads, of a series of loop-forming devices,means for automatically causing said devices to-move between saidthreads to produce the tufts or pile-loops upon the fabric beingknitted, means for automatically causin said devices to cease to movebetween sai threads to permit the machine to produce plain knittedfabric, means for increasing the space between said threads during theproduction of the tufts or loops, and means for decreasing the spacebetween said threads during the production of plain knitted fabric,substantially as described.

in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK C. REHM.

Witnesses EDWARD Y. CUTsoH, CHAs. ET'KAUTER.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature

